My conversation with the girls didn't last long. As soon as the battle resumed, I walked towards the ring. As I walked down the corridor, which was once dark, I noticed it started to light up. Exiting the corridor, I began to ascend the ring, where the audience's cheers flooded the place.

Darian was already waiting for me. His gaze, as he observed me, was the same as he had directed towards the children in the orphanage. Strangely, Darian didn't seem much different from the last time. Despite asking for time to prepare, he was still wearing his elegant suit. In short, I had no idea what he had prepared for our fight.

"I imagine someone ignorant like you may not know me, but I'm an important figure in Anima. In essence, I'm the only one truly worthy of marrying Leona. I'll overlook this insult if you decide to give up the match now while you still have a chance. What do you think? It's not a bad deal, right?"

Darian uttered, looking at me with an arrogant smile on his face. Even though the fight hadn't even started, this guy was already completely sure of his victory. I honestly didn't know if he was strong, and even Grid seemed unsure since he had never seen him fight. Anyway, it would be a mistake to underestimate him just for that, after all, he is still a Demi-human.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't think Leona will truly be happy marrying you. Anyway, you don't even love her, right?"

Hearing my words, Darian raised an eyebrow as he stared at me. His expression became slightly confused, but soon a laugh escaped from his lips.

"Love? Why would we need that? By marrying me, it will be Leona's duty to carry my descendants, nothing more, nothing less. Love is irrelevant to someone who commands others. Well, I don't expect someone ignorant like you to understand that"

As soon as I heard these words, I clenched my fist, and my expression became even more rigid. I will definitely not allow Leona to be with someone like him.

"We'll see if I'm really ignorant or not. In the coliseum, the winner has the right"

Upon hearing my words, Darian's expression visibly darkened. Although I hadn't said anything extraordinary, my words seemed to have offended him in some way.

"Just the fact that you can't see the differences between us is proof enough of your ignorance. Anyway, let's get started soon; this fight was meaningless from the beginning"

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Saying these words, Darian put one hand on his back, while the other was pointed at me. His pose, in general, exuded the dignity of a noble, but, to be honest, it was full of openings.

I could identify several angles from which I could hit him. While watching Darian, a cloud began to cover the Arena, and just before I moved towards Darian, Shade's voice echoed in my mind.

(My king, sorry to interrupt, but that man seems to be deliberately giving openings to lure you in)

Listening to Shade's words, I was confused. Shade was a mage and not a fighter, so I really had no idea how she had managed to perceive that.

(My king, as you know, I am the spirit of darkness. Even darkness has thoughts. When the shadow brought by the cloud touched Darian, his thoughts were exposed to me)

Listening to Shade's words, it really made sense. To be honest, I didn't know the extent of Shade's power. Anyway, I didn't think there was any reason for her to lie to me. Besides, Shade had always shown loyalty to me, so there was no reason not to believe her.

(Alright. Thanks for the warning, Shade)

Saying these words, I turned again to Darian, who was staring at me. He hadn't moved an inch from where he was. To tell the truth, both of us seemed to be studying each other, waiting for the other's next move.

"Not going to attack?"

When I asked that, Darian looked at me, his expression becoming unpleasant. A smile spread across my face when I realized this, and with a hand gesture, I began to taunt him.

"Maybe... afraid?"

As soon as I uttered those words, Darian disappeared from where he was and reappeared right in front of me. The time I had to block his attack was extremely short, so the only thing I could do was put my arms in front of his blow.

I must admit I didn't expect my body to be thrown backward. The pressure from his blow was still quite present in my arm. Also, my body was being thrown at a frightening speed; I would probably be thrown out of the ring if it continued like this.

With a strong stomp on the ground, a concrete wall appeared behind me. Although this wasn't enough to stop me completely, it still considerably slowed down my speed, allowing me to stop gradually.

"Looks like someone needs some education. Although normally this isn't within my duties, I'll make an exception this time"

Although Darian's words might sound noble, his expression said the opposite, his face clearly showed his anger towards me. Well, I doubt anyone would notice, since, apart from me, everyone is away from here.

"You educating me? I think I'll have to disagree with that. I already have the best teacher in the world, so you would just be a copy of what she has already been"

After uttering these words, I disappeared from where I was and reappeared in front of Darian. Instead of being surprised, Darian raised an eyebrow in doubt. With a gentle smile on my face, I raised my arm and, in a swift motion, brought it down on Darian, who was suddenly thrown to the ground.

Although it's obvious, I didn't use all my strength, as I didn't want to end this too quickly. To be honest, Darian was strong, but that was only within the standards of Demi-humans. Compared to Grid, it was like fighting a child. However, when Grid hit me, it became clear that Darian wouldn't be a match for me.

"It's showtime"

I uttered these words with a smile on my lips, while keeping my gaze fixed on Darian.